Auckland Team - Tonga College
Energising Tonga College 2009
Seven volunteers from the University of Auckland chapter of EWBNZ travelled to the Kingdom of Tonga from the 23rd November - 14th December 2009 to install a solar powered groundwater pumping system at Tonga College. The project was in partnership with EcoCARE Pacific Trust, a charitable organisation who works in the Pacific in the areas of education, environment and health.
EWBNZ Auckland Chapter Renewable Energies Tonga Project team.
Left; Fatima, Jonathan, Daniel, Graham, Peter, Derek and Peter.
The main goal of the project was to reduce the schools financial burden associated with the provision of clean water to its students and staff (~1800 people). Tonga College is the second largest secondary school in Tonga and is an all-boys school. It is located on the main island of Tonga, Tongatapu. It costs Tonga College $1000 pa’anga per month (~NZ$800) in diesel fuel costs to fill its 25,000 litre water tank once a day. In 2008, the Principal of Tonga College at the time approached EWBNZ for assistance in reducing the schools ground water pumping costs so that savings could be invested in educational resources such as computers, books and tech equipment. The project was formally endorsed by the Tongan Minister of Education, the Hon. Dr. Tevita Palefau.
Prior to the trip, the EWBNZ team spent a year and a half researching, planning, raising funds and designing a solar powered groundwater pumping system. The designed scheme includes a 1.44kW photovoltaic array powering a submersible groundwater pump through a battery bank with the existing diesel pump retained for back up purposes.
On arrival in Tonga, the EWBNZ team met the principal Isikeli Oko and Tevita Mau, the former principal who now works for the Office of Education. The team also gave an interactive presentation at the school assembly about the project and introduced the educational material they had prepared to the staff at Tonga College. This material was well received and is to be incorporated into the National Tongan Curriculum.
On inspection of the site, the team were excited to see that the shed to mount the solar panels on was almost complete, and the bore had also been drilled. The site inspection also revealed areas in which the design required modification as it was discovered that outlay of the bore and the water tower were not as anticipated and that the water table was 30% deeper than the team had been advised in the design stages. A 4 day delay in the release of equipment from customs as the ministry organized to waive consumption taxes provided ample opportunity for the necessary design changes to be made and for trenches to be dug. Once the equipment arrived the team installed the system with the keen help of Tonga College staff and students. Once everything was connected and ready to test, the team witnessed the paramount moment of the trip when water was pumped from the ground.
In addition to installing the solar system the EWBNZ team also engaged with the staff and students to carry out basic measures to improve water and energy conservation. These included the identification of leaks at the school and tasks such as changing computer settings in the staff resource room to save power. The team hopes that in addition to the economic benefits, the scheme will also be used as a tool for teaching students about renewable energy technologies and sustainable practices.
An official opening ceremony for the scheme was held on the 8th December 2009, with the cutting of the red ribbon by the New Zealand High Commissioner, Christine Boggle. Overall the project can be declared a success and has served as an invaluable learning experience for the young engineers involved.
The EWBNZ team co-lead by Jonathan Cheng (jon.cheng257@gmail.com) and Anita Walbran (anitamckenzie@gmail.com) consisted of Graham Dos Santos, Peter Luk, Daniel Scott, Fatima Leung- Wai and Bridget Rule, and project advisors Dr Peter Richards (Deputy HOD of Mechanical Engineering) and Derek Smith, a Senior Project Manager at SKM.
Watch the trip video here.
Sponsors
EWBNZ would like to extend a special thanks to NZAid, Pacific Blue, Revue for Engineering Faculty Students, The Rotary Club of Auckland East, ABB, SKM, SPIES, Air New Zealand Freight and Copybook for their invaluable support towards this project.
